Tag: Believe

For most, it’s far easier to grasp God as the Creator of the majestic mountains, the delicate flowers and the patterned butterfly than as a baby in a lowly manger.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).

A few years back when my husband & I took a trip to Arizona for our 25th wedding anniversary we road-tripped to the Grand Canyon. As we stood on the rim of the canyon and gazed first-hand at its majesty, it was awe-inspiring & breath-taking.

All creation bears God’s handiwork and the imprint of His touch as His eternal power & divine nature are revealed (Rom. 1:19-20). Pattern and purpose are visible everywhere–from the intricate design of a flower and butterfly to the genetic instructions used in the growth, development, functioning & reproduction of the human body, as well as the reliable & orchestrated rising & setting of the sun.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” (John 1:1-3)

Purposefully God revealed Himself in the likeness of man (Hebrews 1:1-4).

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14).

–The same Word that is the invisible God.

–The same Word that is before all things & in Him, all things hold together (Col. 1:15-17).

–The same Word that upholds the universe by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3).

–The same Word, who being in the form of God, made Himself of no reputation, taking on the form of a bondservant and came in the likeness of men (Phil. 2:6-7), being born in a lowly manger (Luke 2:7).

Why?

God chose to take on the likeness of man and suffer to pay the penalty (wages) of sin for man, which was death (on the cross), so that man could be redeemed through His blood (saved/released from the power & fear of death) and be reconciled to enjoy eternal life with Him (Rom. 3:23, 6:23, Col. 1:19-22, Eph. 1:7, 2:13-19, Col. 2:13-15, Heb. 2:9).

God revealed this great LOVE for man (even while man was dead in trespasses) because He so LOVED the world that he gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (Eph. 2:4, John 3:16). It’s by grace man has been saved through faith (not of man’s doing)—it’s the gift of God (Eph. 2:8). But to enjoy a gift, one must first receive it–and this one through faith. Faith receives the gift that is undeserved.

When God came as a baby thousands of years ago, He wasn’t well received (except for some angels, shepherds and wise men)–But after Christ died & was raised from the dead, God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Col. 2:12, Phil. 2:9-11).

It’s the time of the year that we celebrate the anniversary of the 1st coming of our Savior’s birth. All names and titles used of the One we celebrate reflect the different relationships that are sustained by Him. Here are some of them:

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a SAVIOR, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

SAVIOR: A savior is for the lost. Due to man’s failure back in the garden, “none is righteous”…“all have sinned & fall short of the glory of God”…”all have gone astray” (Rom. 3:10, 23; Isaiah 53:6). What’s even more wonderful is the title attached to “Savior” in the above verse—“Christ the Lord”, “Christ”, which in Hebrew means Mashiah Jehovah (Jehovah’s Anointed) and the name “LORD” with it denotes “all power and might”—therefore able to save.

MESSIAH: This is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew: Mashiah, meaning “Anointed”, it means “the Christ” (John 1:41).

““Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us” (Matt. 1:23; Isaiah 7:14, 8:8).

IMMANUEL: In Hebrew “Immanuel” means God (El) with us. Used of Christ reveals proof of His Deity.

KING: In the book of Matthew, the Lord is presented as Jehovah’s KING.

The lineage in the 1st chapter of Matthew is unique in the order that it’s given, linking Jesus Christ with the Son of David, heir to the throne (2 Sam. 7:12, 16). It will be more than apparent at His 2nd coming that He will be seen as the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev. 19:16).

“She (Mary) will bear a son, and you shall call his name JESUS, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:21–See also Luke 1:31). All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet in Isaiah 7:13-16.

JESUS: is the same as the Hebrew Jehoshua, or Joshua, and means Salvation of Jehovah, or Jehovah (the) Savior. The name “Jesus” expresses the relation of Jehovah to Him in Incarnation, by which He “Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:6-8).

Christmas is the wonderful season that reminds the Christian why he/she believes and what a precious gift God has given us in the form of His only begotten Son.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever BELIEVES in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).